Downtown After Dark

Downtown After Dark

Downtown After Dark is award winning journalist Russ Tarby's weekly take on the best and brightest of happenings inside and outside of Downtown Syracuse. Each week he adds best bets too.

Bio:
Central New York journalist Russ Tarby has been writing about entertainment, crime, sports and politics since the 1970s. His reviews and feature stories have appeared in newspapers such as the Village Voice, the Dallas Observer, the Auburn Citizen and the Syracuse Post-Standard.

For 12 years, he worked as music and books editor for the Syracuse New Times and while there he won several Syracuse Press Club awards including a Best Feature Story award for 'The Sweet Man,' his 1998 profile of 95-year-old jazz trombonist Spiegle Willcox.

In 2000, he was named music writer of the year for weeklies with a circulation of less than 55,000 by the international Association of Alternative Newsweeklies.

Tarby was a member of the steering committees which founded the Syracuse Area Music Awards(Sammys) and the Syracuse Walk of Fame.

He has been a member of the Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse's Board of Directors since 1993.

In 2007, Tarby edited "Into The Deep," a book by Dr. Andrew G. Hodges about the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway on the island of Aruba.

Tarby now works as a free-lance writer and editor. He compiles two weekly columns, Downtown After Dark for the Syracuse City Eagle and Livin’ in Liverpool for The Review, both published by Eagle Newspapers.

He can be reached at 457-1517, or via e-mail at russtarby@netscape.net.

Downtown After Dark

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Nov

Pope Joan flickers on Europe’s silver screens

rtarby, Downtown After Dark

Thirteen years after the publication of Syracuse author Donna Woolfolk Cross’ novel, Pope Joan, it has finally been made into a movie!
Cross was in Germany the week of Oct. 22 for the film’s premiere in Berlin. The movie opened there because the book was a huge bestseller in Deutschland, and much of the early action takes place there.
Pope Joan stars 34-year-old German actress Johanna Wokalek as Johanna von Ingelheim, a 9th century woman of English extraction born in Germany who disguises herself as a man and ascends through the ranks of the Vatican.

Morocco = 9th century
“The movie was produced by Constantin Film and was filmed in Germany and Morocco,” Cross said...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Pope Joan, Pope Joan film,Constantin Film,Johanna Wokalek is brilliant as Joan,David Wenham,John Goodman as Pope Sergius,Donna Woolfolk Cross,Doug Brode,illustrator Joe Orsak,new Yellow Rose of Texas, a graphic novel,McFarland Press

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Oct

Upstate jazz legends featured on Friday’s double bill

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Downtown After Dark is where Russ Tarby highlights happenings of special note in and sometimes out of Syracuse, the heart of CNY.

“We’re showing off two of the finest exponents of jazz who just happen to live in our region,” said CNY Jazz Arts Foundation Director Larry Luttinger. He’s talking about Friday’s double bill pairing the multi-talented Syracuse saxophonist Joe Riposo with Ithaca guitarist extraordinaire Steve Brown.
Riposo and Brown will showcase their own compositions in concert with the CNY Jazz Orchestra, directed by trombonist Bret Zvacek, at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct...

CATEGORY: General Entertainment

TAGS: Upstate NY jazz legends,Lary Luttinger,CNYJAF concert series,CNY Jazz Orchestra,Sal Nistico, Nick Brignola, Sam Noto, Sy Simpson, Vincent Falcone, Danny D’Imperio, Phil Flanigan, Anna Marie Genovese, Calvin Custer, Tony Leonardi, Nancy Kelly, Jeff Stockham, Karen Oberlin,Joe riposo,steve brown,Daniel Hege,Gridley Building,Dan Klamm,Prime Steakhouse,Quinlivan Pierik & Krause,Mike Casale,Tony Riposo

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Oct

Dances with Wolf soon to be but a memory

rtarby, Downtown After Dark

Downtown After Dark is where Russ Tarby highlights happenings of special note in and sometimes out of Syracuse, the heart of CNY.

Al Wolf’s hanging up his rock’n’roll shoes!
After 47 years of music-making here in Central New York, the talented electric bassist is retiring from show business.

Wolf will play one of his final live dates with Smokin’ from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the Metro Lounge and Sushi Bar, 505 Westcott St., on Syracuse’s East Side; 428-0815...

CATEGORY: Entertainment News

TAGS: cinephile society,Spaghetti Warehouse,Murders in the Zoo (1933), Lionel Atwill,Randolph Scott;Mark of The Vampire,Phil Flanigan,Hanna Richardson,Bistro Elephant,Al Wolf,Smokin,Downtown After Dark,Russ Tarby, Metro Lounge,westcott nation,Marcia Rutledge,Doug Robinson,Syracuse Crunch,Delavan Art Center

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Oct

CRUNCH squad packs plenty of PUNCH!

rtarby, Downtown After Dark

With swift skaters and savvy stickhandlers such as Stefan Legein, Maksim Mayorov and Alexandre Picard, the Syracuse Crunch should score scads of goals during the 2009-2010 American Hockey League season which got underway last weekend in Scranton.

Home opener Saturday
The home opener is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, against the Adirondack Phantoms, at downtown’s Onondaga County War Memorial...

CATEGORY: General Entertainment

TAGS: CRUNCH squad,Onondaga County War Memorial,Derek MacKenzie,Falcone-Cavallo, Bob Popyk,Frankly Just Between Us,Chuck and Gap Mangione, Sal Nistico, Nick Brignola, Sam Noto, Sy Simpson, Danny D’Imperio, Anna Marie Genovese,Calvin Custer,Tony Leonardi,Crunch Coach Ross Yates,Jerry Lewis, Jack Jones, Frankie Randall, Julius LaRosa, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Joe Piscopo,Tony Bennett,Sparky Town Restaurant ,Emmett Van Slyke,Glenn Gomez Adams,Annie & The Hedonists,Kanjira,James Cagney,Spaghetti Warehouse syracuse,Russ Tarby,hanna and phil flanagan,john rohde,Tony Riposo

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Oct

Ron Spencer’s ridin’ a rock’n’roll Roller Coaster

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For a quarter-century now electric guitarist Ron Spencer has rocked righteously in any number of Central New York jam sessions, blues bands and studios.

He toured with Chicago blues diva Big Time Sarah, traded licks on stage with Rhode Island guitar great Duke Robillard and backed up Syracuse’s Godfather of Rock’n’Roll, Jimmy Cavallo.

A chance collaboration in 2007, however, has led Spencer down a new path on which “less is more.”

Memorable moment
Eleven years ago, Spencer brought his four-piece group, the Nite Crew, to national attention with the CD, Burnin’ Desire. After the turn of the century, he added formidable frontman Dugan Henhawk and a horn section to create Jumpstart...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Syracuse Cinephile Society,fall film series,Byron Stripling,Atlantic Flyway,Valkyrie club,Gonstermachers’ honcho Leo Crandall debuts his new band, Ambassadors of Love,Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Maple Leaf Rag, Mark Gibson,Ron Spencer, Jimmy Cavallo,pianist Andrew Russo,Julliard School of Music and,artist-in-residence,Le Moyne College,the Mill Bar & Grill,Valkyrie Adult Fantasy Club,Richard Curry fiddler Andrea Asprelli,saxophonist Chris Vadala,conductor Jeff Tyzik SSO jazz,Spaghetti Warehouse,Entertainment syracuse,1936 airport film, Thirteen Hours by Air

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Sep

Miner’s support is rooted in anti-Destiny politics

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Nibsy’s Pub, which sits pretty at the foot of Tipperary Hill, is as Irish as Jameson’s. On Primary Night, however, all creeds and colors filled its upstairs banquet room as mayoral candidate Stephanie Miner celebrated her victory over three Democratic challengers, Joe Nicoletti, Carmen Harlow and Alfonso Davis.

At a Sept...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Miner for Mayor,Stephanie Miner,Russ tarby,Hotel Syracuse,Syracuse,run for mayor syracuse,Nibsy’s Pub,Tipperary Hill,Bob Congel,John DeSpirito and his benefactor,John DeFrancisco,Al’s Wine & Whiskey Lounge,Nanni, Herron and Winston,Syracuse Crunch,Quickway Ice Girls,Songwriter Leo Crandall,Ambassadors of Love,War Memorial scoreboard,Common Councilor anti-Destiny politics

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Sep

Why Jimmy Cavallo should be in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame!

rtarby, Downtown After Dark

It’s mid-September, time for Jimmy Cavallo to make his annual homecoming at Festa Italiana, downtown. So it’s a good time to wonder aloud, “Why isn’t Jimmy Cavallo in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland?”

We all know that the indefatigable singer-saxophonist is a charter member of the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame, having entered at the first Sammy Awards show in 1993, at the Landmark Theatre.

Godfather of Rock’n’Roll
But after turning 82 years young in July as he continues performing several nights a week, Jimmy deserves to be recognized not only by his fans and colleagues but by the entire world...

CATEGORY: General Entertainment

TAGS: Carmen Harlow,Jim Reith Show,Jimmy Cavallo,Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame,Festa Italiana, downtown,George Horton,Leave Married Women Alone,Diz Utley,State Street Band,The Houserockers,Westcott Theater,John LaTocha,Chuck Sgroi,Tommy Rozzano,Burnet Park Ice Rink Pavilion,The Sim Redmond Band from Ithaca, John Cadley & The Lost Boys, Dusty Pascal, The Adam Fisher Group, Brian Frances, Frank & Burns, Independent Louis, Maka Rouge, Quigsy & The Bird, Smart Alec, The Causeway Giants, The Fabulous Ripcords, The Freeborn Men, The Mere Mortals, The TippHillbillies,The Tom Dooley Choraliers,The Z-Bones,Tipp Hill Music Festival,Down N’ Dirty,The Mill,Syracuse,Russ Tarby

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